(INDIANAPOLIS, IN) - The 2007 NFL season will open with the defending-champion Indianapolis Colts hosting the New Orleans saints on Thursday, September 6th.

The game will be televised by NBC with the kickoff scheduled for 8:30 eastern time.

Since 2004, the defending Super Bowl champion has hosted the Thursday night prime time season-opening game. The Colts last played in the Thursday opener in 2004, when they fell to the defending-champion New England Patriots 27-24 in Foxborough.

The saints were a surprising playoff team last season and feature former Purdue quarterback Drew Brees and 2005 Heisman trophy winner Reggie Bush

The NFL released its nationally televised games for the opening weekend of the season as well as for Thanksgiving Day at their league meetings on Monday. The Colts will also play Thanksgiving night when they face the Falcons in Atlanta. The Thanksgiving game will be televised by the NFL Network with the broadcast expected to be made available to an over-the-air station in the Indianapolis market.

It marks the first time that the Colts will play on thanksgiving since 2004, when Peyton Manning threw a career-high six touchdown passes in the horseshoes' 41-9 rout of the Detroit Lions.